Artemis Fowl: Forgotten Memories
by UndoneAndConquered
Summary: Chapter 2 Updates: Butler has his treasures, even if he only had it for a while.
1. Chapter 1

**Artemis Fowl Alternate Ending – Forgotten Memories**

Please review, fast, fast! Tell me if the ending suited your taste or not.

Disclaimer: I really don't own anything here.

Surface air filled Holly's lungs. It was refreshing to be seeing the full moon again. And the stars. When she looked at them, a smiling pale-faced Irish boy called to her.

"It's not as if he's dead," muttered Holly to herself laboring under the delusion that she had not lost him, which in a strict sense, she did.

There was only one reason why she now visited the surface. It was to replenish her magic. For a while, she flew noiselessly toward the magical spot where the earth would be expecting her service on burying another seed back to it. This time, without a troll, a mars probe or softnose lasers after her. Strange enough.

It was a silent travel. Not a voice quivered in the chilly night. She landed on the foot of an ancient oak, with the river bend being a little farther from the right. Slowly, she picked her way through the twigs and thimbles looking for her acorn, unaware that she was dawdling about to finish it as slowly as possible.

"Artemis?" Holly said, half expecting a big bulky shaven head to bob out from the rock.

There was no reply. The bushes and the rocks continued to sit still and silent, unperturbed by her inquiries. A pang of disappointment met her. No pea-shooter was ever going to come hurtling to her shoulder. In spite of the micro-filaments on her suit deadening the cold, it made her feel colder than she felt for a hundred years.

There was nothing here but rocks and bogs. Captain Holly Short ascended to leave. In a few minutes, she would be strapped comfortably to her shuttle, and after that, back to her own apartment all alone. Mother and Father gone, along with Julius Root, even Artemis.

Holly gritted her teeth. She'd have to bear a couple of scoldings if it's worth a peep on her friend. She flew away from the Tara fairy Terminal. Okay, maybe just once. After all, he won't be able to see her.

There it is! The fowl Manor rising loftily above the others in the plains. She immediately knew the right window where a desk and a chair would greet her, along with the familiar cunning smile of the boy.

What would she give to have that smile for her own?

What would she give?

But of course there was no Irish boy who was waiting and smiling. For one, she was not expected, never mind remembered, and two, it was no boy. It was a grown man with slight age lines etched in his face. Still wearing his bespoke suit and loafers. Some things never change. Holly smiled, in spite of her unchecked tears and sobs.

Normally on these situations, Foaly would have replied on the other line, "Excuse me while I get some tissue. No wonder LEP officers are males." But Foaly was silent. In fact, the dear old stoic Foaly was also blubbing under the controls using the aforesaid tissue.

Perched on the man's legs was a little miss. They were happily engaged on the pictures of the album. Artemis was talking.

"Here is your Grandfather in the hospital after we rescued him in the arctic from the Mafiya. Five million dollars for a Ransom."

"Ow papa, thank goodness you weren't killed!" replied his child.

"Of course that could not happen. We were able to set up an elaborate plan to secure his safety," He was going to go to the specifics of the 'elaborate plan' but all his mouth said was, "We had help."

"You mean Butler beat them?" asked the child.

"Well no..." trailed Artemis' voice as his eyes narrowed to try to remember his forgotten treasures. "Someone else."

Artemis blinked. He looked at the pictures with a new mission: to find something delightfully missing in it. Was it Artemis Senior as he marched about the room on his new prosthetic legs? Or mother as her cheeks became rosy again after two years of sickness? A silent longing came over him. Something his overstuffed brain could not form in words. Something missing on the pictures. No, not just the pictures. Also on his head.

The longing and thirst for remembrance did not stop. He may have just wanted another caviar serving. No, still not it. He desired something else. A massage in the spa? No more delightful than that.

His heart continued to ask for something. The pitiful thing about it because he could not quite identify what it was. His brain would not allow him to remember what. Or who? He longed to say things. But he could not form any words from the kind of chemicals fed to his neurons. He may have to read more about this.

It was some time before he recognized this sensation. (Really rather stupid for a genius since it was rather simple, but we must cut him some slack because the memory to help identification was obsolete) He missed someone. Terribly.

Holly followed her friend to the lake. She recognized the place very well. Once it was full of crickets and ducks trying to bite every inch of skin in their body. She gazed at her friend and his deep blue eyes. It was searching.

"I miss you!" shouted Artemis as he cupped both hands to the side of his mouth.

"I miss you too," replied Holly, fully aware that her helmet was sound proof. She hovered him and kissed his cheek, just like the way she does after their adventures. Such adventures they had. Artemis gently touched his cheek.

"Arty dear, come here, I need you!" A voice issued from the house. He sighed. These days people were calling him Arty, a name that is too infantile. But he wasn't so upset about it after all.

His wife beckoned him inside. She was stroking her belly gently. They were already expecting a new baby in three months. Artemis walked along the grass towards her.

"Holly," he whispered.

"I beg your pardon..", said his wife.

"Holly is a beautiful name. We shall name her Holly," and he stroked the little marplot fondly, half expecting a punch from it on the shoulders.

* * *

accompanying song inspirations:

** long live - Taylor Swift**

****** Nickelcreek - When you come back down**


	2. Butler's Treasure (part 1)

**Butler's Treasure**

Disclaimer: I don't own Butler. He belongs to someone else (e.g. Colfer).

For Steven Curtis Chapman and his Maria.

* * *

Artemis Fowl the Second sat in his desk, preparing to launch another investment when he heard a recognizable sound behind him.

Grabbing his wafer-thin phone, he quickly dialed Butler. "We have company. I need you at my office room." He severed the connection, then turned his chair to face the intruders. "Welcome. From the fact that you have bypassed the security without so much a a beep, and you materialized out of thin air, I presume that you are time-travelers."

"Yes Artemis. And as you may well deduct, my present age is reduced to sixteen, no doubt a side-effect of time travel, thus making us both look exactly like the same peas."

"I trust that the business is thriving?" said Artemis of the past to the present Artemis, or Artemis of the present to the future Artemis, depending on how you look at the time-line.

"It is, but we are not here to discuss business ventures. We are here for more important matters," said Artemis the elder, even though he does not look any day older biologically.

Artemis the younger raised his eyebrow. "And this child is?"

"Marie. Marie Antoinette. And yes, yes," the elder cut off. "I named her after the queen of France (who else would think of that?), and although it is almost not recognizable if not for the nose, she is, in fact, a Butler. All her features, including her diminutive size are that of her mother's."

"I should think so. But she is so, ah, small to be a Butler. Let alone a Domovoi Butler."

"Indeed, but be careful. She already learned basic moves from Juliet. I have no doubt she can bring you down in a minute, owing to your frail body and the way you depend on your head to save you, even though it had been proved to be ineffective to some extent when it comes to close combat."

"We shall have to remedy that." said the younger as he shook the hands of his senior. "Otherwise, I think we are going to get along fine."

Butler stormed into the room. With one glance, he assessed the situation then cleared his throat. "This is a nice reunion, but if I remember right, Holly is going to arrive any minute, so you better hide this madness before both of you get hurt."

Marie looked into him once then walked towards him, arms wide open to welcome. It didn't occur to her that he was armed and very dangerous. She had only seen the pictures, and all of them were smiling and warm. She sauntered to him thinking nothing else was safer.

And on cue, yes, on cue, Holly's voice rang, "Arty, Arty, Where are you?"

"Quick, to the wardrobe!" both of them demanded. Artemis thrust the other Artemis inside.

"Hey! Why me? You're the visitor." said Artemis the younger in his version of a whispered scream, sounding undoubtedly so much like a helpless boy.

"Too late to argue, or change places now. It's all the same however you put it."

Artemis is smart, even if Artemis is smarter. He would have said a lot of advantages had not a determined imploring eyes fixed on him; eyes that seem to be older than himself. "This is unfair!" was all that came out from his vast database of snappy remarks.

Holly's voice rang nearer.

16-year-old Artemis felt inferior to the other, even though they were both of the same age. Artemis, feeling inferior? Strange things keep happening to him. "Tell me what you did to coax N1 this time," He asked, his head refusing to be shoved comfortably inside.

"Lollipops," said Artemis the elder flashing his trademark vampire smile before the closet doors closed.

"What about lollipops?" said Holly behind him.

"Good evening Miss Short. I trust that you are in good health?" said Artemis, his hand on his back on the closet's handle.

"Hey... why did I get the goose bumps when you just spoke? Are you up to something Mud Boy?" she approached. Artemis hastily moved away from the closet as if it was radio-active. "You seem different. Older, but not quite. Have you been time-traveling?" She examined him closer.

"No. Not at all. What makes you think that?" replied the youth.

"And this child?"

"Myles and Becket's playmate from neighboring houses." He turned to Butler. "You can go back on your rounds to the grounds now. I shall have to take care of Holly first. We can talk later. Now miss Holly, No need to be edgy. You are in for a three day vacation after all. How is our friend Trouble Kelp? Blood pressure still safe eh? Glad to hear it. Come and I will show you to your room. You will find it most amusing and full of, er... sentimental memories, now the door is not locked, and the floor which you broke in your childish feat all mended." With that, they marched out of the room.

"Take care of her for a while", called Artemis, as they disappeared from view.

"Please," said a soft voice somewhere down there. "May I go with you?"

"Wha – of course," Butler looked down, taken aback for a second.

The girl's eyes brightened. She slipped her tiny hand into his massive ones. Her hands were real. More real than the Sig Sauer hidden in his jacket. The girl has powers surpassing the greatest gunman Butler has ever faced. He was undone. The child had conquered him that very instant.

He walked into the path in silence, with the little marplot plodding beside him. Presently, she pointed at a flower too high for her to reach. He plucked it for her. Her face etched with childish pleasure as her hand grasped the buds. They were lovers of the world.

It was different, after polishing and cleaning the greasy Sig Sauer, and wielding the weapon to anyone in the way, to be suddenly holding a fragile little hand meant for flowers; a hand he could easily crush.

Butler noticed the steady decline of his companion's pace. He stopped to face her.

"This is too much for your feet. How would you like to play with Becket for a while?"

"No," the girl said, fear passing her face. Her hands wrapped tighter to Butler's as if it was threatening to disappear. "I can do it. I'll walk faster, see?" and she sped up, not daring to let go of his hands.

"Very well, I will have to carry you. Up we go," said the man, heaving her up until her head rested on her shoulder. They continued to walk silently. And before long, she was breathing deep, fast asleep on his chest.

A sudden desire came over him. What if he lived in a cottage with a wife to beckon him home, with this child to carry and to keep safe while she's dreaming?


	3. Butler's Treasure (part 2)

Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing them for while Mr. Colfer. They're all yours.

* * *

"Where's Holly?" Butler silently rumbled as he met Artemis inside the manor, the little girl still weighting in his arms.

"The other Artemis is keeping her company. I am the elder."

"I see," said Butler, and they trudged in silence.

"We need to talk. That child –"

"Is my daughter"

"How did—"

"I saw her nose," he laughed; an enormous thunder laughing in hushed tones for the little one. "You think I won't notice? She has the same blisters on the wrist. Juliet's training I presume."

"I see. You found out. So I suppose you know why we're here."

"No I..." then Butler saw a shadow pass Artemis' face. He then understood. "This is not a social visit. You came here to say goodbye."

"Yes. I promised Marie I would take her to see her father."

"When did it happen?" He spoke calmly.

"Before she was born."

"How?"

Silence.

"Artemis, tell me."

"You were shot. Blocking a bullet meant for me. I'm sorry," he said steadily, but full of pain. "We tried magic, but your lifeline was up. If there was anything I could do..."

Butler placed his free hand on his charge. "Don't. I've lived long enough. I saw her. You've done well."

They fell silent. The light began to dim. Just like their time, it was slowly slipping away.

Then Butler spoke, "I have to prepare for dinner."

* * *

Note: This is not yet finished. If you want to know what happened next, just say so.


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